Apple-parer.



No. 684.309. Patented Dot. 8', I90l. .B. A. RIDGWAY.

APPLE PABER. (Application filed Dec. 3,1900.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENTMOFFICE.

BIRNEY A. RIDGWAY, OF MARION, NEW YORK.

APPLE-PARER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart Of Letters Patent N0. 684,309, dated ()ctoldei 8, 1901. Application filed December 3, 1900- Serial No. 38,462. (No model.)

T0 to whom it ntay concern:

Be it known that I, BIRNEY A. RIDGWAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marion, in the county of Wayne and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apple-Faring Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,- such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompany ing drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to apple-paring machines; and its object is to provide a knife for removing the skin of the apple immediately around the stem and to serve as a stop to limit the movement of the apple as it is thrust upon the fork of the machine. By serving as a stop the knife is also a guard to prevent the operator from running the fork into his hand, as he is liable to do if no stop is used.

The apple-paring machines nowin use have no means, so far as I know, for removing the skin close to the stem. This has to be cut off by hand with a small hand paring-knife, involving considerable extra labor and loss of time. By my invention I do away with all necessity for this extra operation of handparing.

My invention consists of a small stationary knife secured to the frame of the machine adjacent to the fork-spindle and standing in such a position with reference to the fork that when the apple is pushed on it will be stopped by the knife in proper position for paring. As the apple is rotated the knife removes the skin immediately around the stem.

In the drawings, Figure l is an end elevation of the fork and part of the frame of an apple-paring machine, showing my knife in position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 8 is a cross-section showing the shank of the knife in the shaft-bearing. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the bearing, showing the shaft and knife in top plan view; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the knife.

The machine may be of any kind suitable for the work of paring apples and other similar fruit. In all such machines there is a rotatable shaft A, journaled in a bearing B in a frame 0 and provided at its projecting end with a fork D, having tines (1, upon which the apple is impaled in order to hold it firmly while the shaft is turned to ro'tatethe apple in contact with the paring-knife. These parts are common to all fruit-paring machines and form no part of my invention.

In order to pjare away the skin adjacent to' the stem of the apple; the stem end being the one into which the fork is thrust, I provide I a smallknife E, mounted on or integral with" bearing being preferably enlarged slightly in order to accommodate it. A set-screw F,

passing through the frame, holds the shank in place after it has been slid out far enough to bring the knife into proper position. The shank may be slightly offset, if necessary, to enable the knife to extend beyond the base of the fork, as shown at 6'.

It is evident that the knife will act as a stop to prevent the apple from being pushed too far on the fork, so that there is no danger of the tines of the fork coming through and hurting the operators hand. Moreover, when the apple is rotated the knife peels off the skin in the pit around the stem, so that no subsequent paring by hand is necessary.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-- 1. In an apple-paring machine, the combination with a rotatable shaft carrying a fork, of a semicircular shank fitting into the shaftbearing alongside of said shaft and having at one end a knife standing at an acute angle with the shank.

2. In an apple-paring machine, the combination with a rotatable shaft carrying a fork, of a curved shank fitting into said bearing parallel with the shaft, a set-screw for fastening it adjustably, and a knife on said shank adjacent to the fork.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BIRNEY A. BID GVVAY.

Witnesses 2 THOMAS Guns, JAMES GoossE. 

